Disclaimer: If I owned Tales of the Abyss, I would not be slacking. Obviously, I don't own it.
This chapter is also dedicated to my reviewers – sorry for such a long wait!

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A Simple Trade
By: Dragnotchi
Chapter Six – A Broken Wrist and a Bargain

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"…And that's what happened." Guy said, leaning against a tree a short way from the fire; eyes focused on Tear and Natalia healing the numerous wounds that the archer had secured. The two had done the same thing to him (through numerous complaints) a few moments before.

"I don't think that these 'cave-dwellers' are much of a threat," Jade said from where he sat on a log. Anise was next to him, attempting to grab the glad-bag out of his hands. "From what you've said, they aren't very advanced. I don't think that they would attempt to pursue you two this far just over the death of their prince."

"We should keep a look-out just in case!" Mieu chipped in from where he sat by the fire. "They looked ready to kill me!"

"We'll make sure no one kills you Mieu," Natalia said with a smile down to the cheagle as she and Tear took a break from healing her arm. Angry, red welts ran down the length of her forearm, and her right wrist, the one she had shattered, was swollen and displaced at an odd angle. Her fingers also showed traces of the bowstring, and her shoulder still bore a puncture wound from the arrow that had lodged itself there.

"You're in no condition to be promising anything right now, Natalia," Luke said as he looked to her injuries. "You'll be lucky to be able to string your bow anytime soon, much less wield a sword."

"My left hand is perfectly fine," Natalia said indignantly, scowl forming on her features. "And both Tear and myself should be able to heal the rest of my injuries without trouble."

"I am worried about your wrist, Natalia," Tear spoke up, a frown etched on her face. "I'm not sure if your bone could take much more of this abuse…"

"What do you mean?" That was Guy, his arms unfolding from across his chest as he settled down next to Natalia and Tear. "Couldn't you two just fix it again."

"We were lucky to fix it in the first place; at this rate she could sever all nerves in her hand if she shatters the bone, or gets a severe fracture… I'm not sure if she should be doing anything with –"

"I'm fine," Natalia said softly, "I won't break it again."

The healing continued on without much trouble, most wounds disappearing without difficulty. It wasn't until they reached Natalia's wrist did they receive trouble. The break refused to be healed; no matter how many fonons they poured into the spell.

"You're going to kill yourselves, you know," Jade said, now holding the gald-bag far above his head where Anise could not reach, even with standing on the log. "Obviously since Natalia's bone was grown back, it's fueled with seventh-fonons. Pumping more into it won't help it heal. It will have to do that on it's own."

"But setting bones is an annoyance," Natalia sighed, though soon she was equipped with an arm brace, and a snide remark from Luke on how she could go around thwacking enemies with it instead of her arrows with the amount of bandages that she and Tear had used.

Luke was almost the first one to receive attention from the makeshift cast when Guy rescued him with a suggestion for Natalia to help him cook. The redheaded swordsman avoided the princess' right arm for the rest of the night.

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It was cold during her early-morning guard shift, and Natalia sat at the edge of the clearing, arms crossed over her chest, teeth chattering from the cold. Of course, it had never occurred to her that she needed a blanket, and her duty to her friends wouldn't allow her to leave the spot. Darn her ego, she was cold.

Green eyes swept over the landscape as she yawned, producing more shivers in the process of sweeping her bangs away from her face. She still had a few more hours before the others would wake up, and they were on their way to Daath. The forest was silent; not even the birds were stirring in the trees as the sun slowly crested the treetops. Natalia could feel a smile on her face, ignoring her shivers as she marveled at the beautiful scene.

"You're going to catch your death of cold," a masculine voice said over her head as a thick blanket was cast over her shoulders. Natalia accepted it gratefully, tilting her head back to see the smiling face of Guy above her. "At least take a blanket when you insist on being the morning guard. You know it gets cold."

"I forgot," Natalia said, moving over on the log to allow him room to sit down. He took the seat, looking to the sunset as the princess snuggled into her blanket. "I was going to get one when you were coming over, I was just caught up in the sunrise."

"You know, you don't have to push yourself because your wrist is broken; the group won't persecute you for being dead weight. We all don't want to see you not be able to draw your bow again." He absent-mindedly plucked a leaf from her hair, twirling it in his fingers as he thought. "And don't argue; it's the truth."

"I…" Natalia had no comeback, and turned her attention to the sunrise once more, though her attention was diverted when Guy placed the leaf back in her hair, tucked behind her ear. "Guy?"

"It brings out the color of your eyes," Guy said with some embarrassment, rubbing the back of his neck with an uncertain smile. "I t-think you l-look… pretty with it."

Natalia returned his smile with one of her own. "It appears your gynophobia is showing again, Guy."

"No, it's not my gynophobia this time," Guy confided, leaning towards her on the log. Natalia didn't seem to notice the movement of her face as well until their lips touched. He wrapped his arms around her as she stayed in the comforting warmth of the blanket, refusing to come out of the woolen warmth as much as she desired to wrap him into her own embrace.

"I'm as glad to see this as I am to cheagles dancing in the sunshine, but I'd rather you two fraternize when it doesn't chance the risk of some of us loosing our heads." Guy jumped to his feet at Jade's words, and Natalia let out a muffled squeak as she fell off of the log.

"How long have you been there, Jade?" Guy asked, red staining his cheeks.

"Long enough to make an old man like me feel I needed to intervene. Now, are you two going to keep sitting there, or will you assist me in cooking breakfast?"

Guy looked to Natalia who was furiously muttering under her breath as she attempted to untangle herself from the blanket. "I'll help you Jade, Natalia's busy at the moment."

"It's probably for the best; I don't think I need anymore burnt pancakes this week, they're terrible for my digestive track."

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The sun was beginning to set as the group of six wandered into the city of Daath. Already the humble people of the quiet city were wandering back to their homes, and many visitors were streaming into the inn.

"At this rate we'll never be able to get a room," Guy sighed as they walked up to the line.

"If worse comes to worse, we can just sleep outside the city grounds," Natalia said with a frown as the line sluggishly moved up. Her arms were crossed in front of her chest, and a frown was on her face. The other members of the group were wearing similar expressions of unease. They all had looked forward to the prospect of sleeping in a bed instead of the cold ground.

"Well now, if someone hadn't run off and someone else hadn't followed them, we wouldn't be in this predicament now would we?" Jade asked. Natalia's frown deepened into a scowl, a light blush gracing her features as Guy rubbed the back of his neck with chagrin.

The rest of the wait was followed in silence as night descended on the city overshadowed by the cathedral. The group found themselves at the front counter before long, and with exuberance, Luke asked for three rooms.

"I'm sorry," the innkeeper replied, "we only have one left." Everyone in the group smothered groans: all that waiting for this? They couldn't possibly fit together in one room either.

"I have an idea," Anise spoke up as the group walked away from the inn in defeat. "Let's try Ion; he could get us a room in the cathedral!"

"Anything would be better than the ground," Luke agreed. "I was looking forward to sleeping in a bed again."

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The moonlight shone through the great stained glass windows of the cathedral as the clock in the bell tower struck the hour. Two strokes rang through the sleepy town, but no one was up to hear them. That is, no one except for a blond swordsman.

He wandered through the cathedral, blue eyes drifting over the intricate work on the chapel as he moved through the silver beams of light. His mind wandered aimlessly as he walked, and still he couldn't find the peace he needed to fall asleep.

Events from the past few days mulled over in his mind, sparking the rise of a headache that pounded through his temples. He sighed, dropping his head into his hands as he massaged his temples with his fingers tiredly. Suddenly palms touched his own; headache disappearing as the seventh fonon was brought into contact with his body.

Moving his head up, Guy found himself looking into expectant green eyes… And next he knew he was sprawled on his back a few feet away from the female, stiffing a shout as his gynophobia reacted to the contact.

The princess only sighed and shook her head as he smiled sheepishly. "I'm getting better," he said, "you just startled me; I can usually control the reaction."

"You have been better with your phobia," she remarked thoughtfully, a small grin coming in contact with her features. She offered a hand to help him up and he accepted it after a few moments, small tremors coming from his hand, proving that his fear was still dominant. "But you still have a long way to go in regard to getting over your aversion to women."

"It's not that I don't like looking at women…"

Natalia's smile gradually turned into a grin. "You are most certainly a guy. I'm sure you've broken all of the nun's hearts by simply walking through the doors."

"At least they can't follow me around," the swordsman suppressed a shudder as he beckoned Natalia to follow him out the doors of the cathedral into the pathways around it.

"You would be one to take advantage of their vows," Natalia said as she easily matched pace with him. "But don't you want to finally break through your phobia?"

He sighed, looking up at the night sky. "I suppose I do… It's just so hard…"

"A bargain, then," Natalia said decisively.

"A bargain?"

"I teach you how to get over your phobia if you continue to teach me the sword."

Guy's lips twitched into a smile as he stopped at a bench, taking a seat. Natalia followed suit. "That sounds fair," he said with some relief, "but you have to promise not to injure your wrist any more than it already is."

Natalia grimaced at her cast. "Deal."

"Deal."

They sat there for a few moments, both staring at one another, and Natalia's smile slowly faded into a frown.

"What's the matter?" Guy asked, wondering just what had gone wrong.

"Aren't you supposed to seal a bargain with something?"

"Like what?" He had a feeling where she was going.

Natalia turned a faint shade of scarlet. "Sometimes it's a handshake, or a signature… Or a kiss." Her voice had gradually dropped down into a whisper, but Guy had no problem hearing her, and a grin easily swept across his face.

Their bargain was soon sealed in the fashion deemed appropriate by the swordsman. Natalia agreed wholeheartedly with his method.

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So sorry about the long wait, but I hope this chapter makes up for it, even if it was extremely fluffy.

Don't worry, monster bashing will come soon enough, and what about this new bargain added onto that trade? Only time will tell what will happen….